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Where to Base Yourself on Lake Como: A First-Timer's Guide

Lake Como, ItalyJune 24, 20262 min read
By MASA Editors
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The pale yellow facade of the Grand Hotel Tremezzo on Lake Como, its name lettered across the pediment above six storeys of wrought-iron balconies, orange terrace awnings along the ground floor and a bare grey mountain rising behind the roof.01
The pale yellow facade of the Grand Hotel Tremezzo on Lake Como, its name lettered across the pediment above six storeys of wrought-iron balconies, orange terrace awnings along the ground floor and a bare grey mountain rising behind the roof.Photo: Renaud Confavreux / Unsplash

The lake is a Y, and the ferries only stitch part of it together. A guide to Como town, Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio and Tremezzo — and the grand hotels that made the lake famous.

Lake Como is shaped like an inverted Y, and the mistake first-timers make is treating it as one destination. The village you sleep in determines how much of the lake you actually see, because the useful ferry network covers the central section and nothing else. Here is how to choose.

Key facts

  • From Milan: trains reach Como in around 40 minutes and Varenna in about an hour.
  • The ferry triangle: Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio and the Tremezzo shore are linked by frequent boats. Everything else needs a car or a long drive.
  • Best months: many lake hotels and villas close from late autumn to early spring.
  • Cars: lakeside roads are narrow and parking is difficult. Most visitors are happier without one.

Como town: year-round and best connected

The lake's only real city, walled, walkable and with a Gothic duomo, a silk museum and a funicular up to Brunate. It stays open in winter when the villages shut, and the train from Milan makes it the easiest arrival. The trade-off is that it feels like a town rather than a lakeside idyll, and the classic central-lake ferries take a while to reach from here.

Lake Como and a lakeside town seen across the varnished mahogany foredeck and windscreen of a classic speedboat
Lake Como and a lakeside town seen across the varnished mahogany foredeck and windscreen of a classic speedboatPhoto: Chris Boland / Unsplash

Bellagio: the postcard, and the crowds

On the point where the lake's two southern arms divide, with stepped alleys, an arcaded waterfront and unbeatable ferry connections in three directions. Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni has presided over the promontory since the 1870s and remains the address. Day-trippers arrive mid-morning and leave by evening, so staying here buys you the good hours.

Varenna: quieter, and on the railway

Across the water on the eastern shore, smaller and more romantic, with the cliffside Lovers' Walk, Villa Monastero and Villa Cipressi and a direct train to Milan. The historic Hotel Royal Victoria sits on the main square, a short walk from the pier. Better value than Bellagio and, for many visitors, the better base.

Abbey of Piona, Lake Como
Abbey of Piona, Lake ComoPhoto: Lewis J Goetz / Unsplash

Menaggio: practical and good value

On the western shore in the same ferry triangle, with a proper waterfront promenade, everyday shops and prices noticeably below the other two. The choice for travellers who want the same access without paying for the view twice.

Tremezzo and Lenno: gardens and grandeur

This stretch of the western shore holds Villa Carlotta and Villa del Balbianello. Grand Hotel Tremezzo, a 1910 belle epoque pile facing Bellagio across the water, is famous for the pool that floats on the lake itself.

Art and music in Lake Como
Art and music in Lake ComoPhoto: Yianni Mathioudakis / Unsplash

Cernobbio and the southwestern shore: the legends

Just north of Como, Villa d'Este occupies a sixteenth-century cardinal's villa and is among the most storied hotels in Europe. Nearby, Passalacqua in Moltrasio and Mandarin Oriental Lago di Como at Blevio complete a run of exceptional properties. Ferry links from here to the central lake are limited, so plan on a car or private boat.

Tip: Base yourself inside the Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio and Tremezzo triangle and check the timetable before you book anything. On this lake, the ferry schedule dictates your itinerary far more than road distance does.

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